The present invention relates generally to agricultural implements and more particularly to tractor pulled, rotary apparatus for chopping vegetation and for churning and working the soil prior to and in preparation for a subsequent planting.
Extant grain harvesting machinery functions, in general, tp pick the grain crop, to remove the grain from the stalk and from the hull, to separate and store the grain, and to discharge waste parts of the plant back into the field. Frequently, various types of baling machinery are then utilized to pick up and bale the discharged waste to reclaim it for other purposes. What remains in the field is largely the stubble.
The stubble itself, however, is also useful, as it will decay in time and return nutrients to the soil. Also, decayed stalks, especially when finally divided, provide water absorption and retention means to preserve moisture within the top soil, thereby to serve as a moisture reservoir for the growing plant. Such decayed stalks act further to maintain the soil in a sufficiently loose condition to facilitate planting, cultivating, fertilizing, and ultimately crop growth. Hence, it is desirable to return the stubble to the soil finely divided and in as efficient a manner as is possible.
Certain difficulties have been associated with the prior art devices for chopping stalks and stubble. Among those difficulties have been a lack of efficiency and adjustability chopping, slowness of operation, and the necessity for an to varying terrain and soil conditions, incompleteness of excessive amount of manual adjustment and control in their operation.
In view of these and other difficulties associated with prior art devices, it is an object of the rotary stalk chopper apparatus of the present inventon to provide an apparatus which materially alleviates those difficulties.
It is an additional object of the present invention to provide a rotary stalk chopper apparatus which provides efficiency in use, speed and safety of operation, adjustability to varying terrain and soil conditions, and requires a minimum of manual adjustment and control.